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Monday, February 7, 2011

Update #128 on Kevin - ICU

We know it’s been a few months since we've done an update on Kevin. Life has moved forward. Angie and I returned to Italy to pack up our house and close out our aspect of the ministry that's still going on there. We had a great Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's at home with Kevin and the rest of the family.

However, I'm writing you from an ICU room at St John's Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It's been a whirlwind this last week, so I'll try to update you quick and get to the prayer needs for Kevin.

Things started getting tough about a week and a half ago. First Angie, then Jacob,
finally Kohl all got the flu. With the blizzard last week and record-setting snowfall in Tulsa, we didn't have nursing. I found myself caring for a housefull of sickos and Kevin. Fortunately, Brandon was able to come and help some days, because of being out of school due to the snow.

We thought we had made it out of the woods but Saturday night things took a turn. Kevin has spells of coughing, but it will eventually be resolved with one of several methods of care. He started coughing at 9PM Saturday night and continued coughing, getting more incessant and worse over the next seven hours. We ran through the checklist of everything we were taught to do in order to relieve his coughing (cough syrup, saline breathing treatment, repositioning, xopenex breathing treatments, etc….). After calling a couple medical professionals, we followed their advice and called 911. On a normal day, we could have just taken Kevin in the van, however, there is still so much snow on the ground and driveway that it was not possible. Firemen and EMSA (ambulance service) arrived and got Kevin ready for transport. Angie rode in the EMSA truck and I met them at the hospital driving in the snow in the early hours between Saturday and Sunday.

After some time in the ER, we found a rapidly rising temperature (at home it was 99) of 102-103. His blood was way too thin. His potassium was very high. Kevin’s blood pressure was dangerously low (at the lowest I saw it was 69/39) and his oxygen levels were dropping. He had blood in his urine and had thrown up some as well. Kevin’s heart rate and breathing rate were very fast.

Yesterday afternoon, they moved Kevin into an Adult ICU room on the 8th floor. A vitamin K shot was given to combat the thin blood, electrolytes for the high potassium, dopamine for the low blood pressure, O2 for the low O2 levels and Tylenol for the fever. They found pneumonia and some sort of infection that made him septic. Septic is an issue where the blood is infected. This made the staff use a Septic protocol of constant testing to insure the various levels of his body’s statistics.

During the night (last night), Kevin’s nurse called to tell us that from a blood gas test, his O2 levels were too low in his lungs and his Carbon Dioxide (CO2) levels were too high. They needed to put Kevin on a ventilator in order to keep the infection from winning in his lungs. Since then his blood gas levels have been good. Kevin’s fever is now gone. His heart rate is much more normal now. With the dopamine his blood pressure is getting back to normal, although to wean him off the dopamine it needs to become stabilized. This morning, after we got here, Kevin cracked open his eyes and even turned toward me when we came over to his bedside. He immediately went back to sleep, but that was good since he hadn’t opened his eyes since getting to the hospital. Several other times today, he has reopened his eyes, twice with visitors and a couple others just with Angie and I in the room. Even though he still has some septic symptoms, he is no longer under the septic protocol.

As things progress, we will update you via email, facebook and the prayforkevin.com website. More up to date info can be gotten by following me on Twitter (username mcrosser or pray4kevin) and my Facebook status. Thanks so much for your prayers and thoughts. No flowers or balloons can be sent to his ICU room, but please feel free to send cards to Kevin Crosser, room 809 at St John’s Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

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About Kevin

This is from Kevin's own words off a profile online: "My name is Kevin and I shoot striaght. I like to joke around though and enjoy meeting people. My children are the highlights of my life next to GOD. My Mom, Dad, brothers, sister-in -law, and their children are very close to me also. I have many special friends and extended family and they know who they are. I love my job at AMERICAN AIRLINES. I'm a EXECUTIVE BOARD OFFICER for the TRANSPORT WORKERS UNION LOCAL 514. I love softball, hunting, and being involed in the community. I like to help people. I think this is what God intended us to do. I have the honor of setting on several boards. Vision 2025, Redcross Chapter, Redcross Blood Services and recently I've been asked on the INCOG federal reserve Board. I know every day matters so live it like you should."